Incessant rains across Orissa due to a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal has led to flash floods in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts affecting more than 60,000 people in 103 villages, official sources said.
The people from several areas in Mayurbhanj and Balasore were being shifted to safe places with the flood water of Budhabalang, Gangahar, Sono, Kansabas and Jalaka rivers entering the villages, revenue department sources said.
"We have given shelter to flash-flood hit people in 10 schools,"Mayurbhanj district emergency officer D.B. Nayak said.
"Dry food ietms were being distributed among the affected people who were shifted to the safe places," revenue department sources said.
However, there was no report of any casualty or house damage in any of the two districts, they said.
The district administrations were kept on alert as water level of several rivers were on the rise.
With Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams deployed in the affected areas, block development officers were asked to arrange boats for rescue and relief operation, official sources said.
Three blocks each in the two districts had been affected in the flash flood.
The water level in river Brahmani (at Jenapur and Indupur), Baitarini (at Champua, Swanpatna and Anandapur), Subernarekha (at Rajghat), Budhalang (at Chandpur, Balimunduli and NH-5 Gobindpur) were on rise while the southern Orissa rivers like Vansadhara and Rusikulya were also brimming, the sources said.
Meanwhile, a report from Mayurbhanj said that water was overflowing on Baisinga-Mantri road and Udalai Jaipur road.
The district administration has also been asked to keep power boats ready for evacuation in the event flood water entered other villages, they said.
